London Exchange

By Eileen Myles

I have utmost

respect for you

but in that

moment if I

were to

get out of

your way

instead of

walking up the stairs

to my home

I would have

no respect

for myself.

I didn’t know

why you couldn’t

understand this

when I told

you. Instead

you screamed

at me and

told me I

was rude. And

then you

said someone

of my

age should

know meaning

that you

were adding

to my crime

the fact

that I am

older than you.

What am I

to do. How

many days

have passed

and I

have no

reason to think

that

your ancestors

were stolen

from their

home in A-

frica

and because

of my not

knowing that this

is true

but thinking

that it

is possible

it makes

me certain

that respect

next time

would be

for me

to step around.

Maybe

I could say

quietly joining you

for a moment

in your

vast and

ancient

sorrow

that was

my home

Source: Poetry (January 2015)